A trip to Raffles features on many a bucket list — especially for those interested in Singapore’s colonial past who want to see (or stay in, if they can afford it) arguably the most celebrated hotel in the world. For me, this was my third visit, and a somewhat sentimental one as I remembered a departed friend with whom I first visited Raffles many years ago.
The hotel does a roaring trade thanks to its history — in particular with the founder of Singapore, Stamford Raffles. But the reality is that time has marched on and much of the hotel would be unrecognisable to its famed and feted former patrons. (They include John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin, Joseph Conrad and, perhaps most famously, playwright-actor-singer-songwriter-director and all-round genius Noel Coward, who visited the hotel many times over 40 years.)*
The Long Bar, where the renowned Singapore Sling cocktail is served in industrial quantities, ain’t where it used to be back in the 1930s. In fact, it ain’t where it used to be back in the 1980s.
Signage explains that the bar’s original location is a mystery. That may or may not be the case, but the present location certainly retains a lot of heritage features and evokes a bygone era. If, of course, you suspend disbelief and let your mind drift beyond the constant clamour of tour groups.
While I don’t agree with one TripAdvisor user who called the bar a ripoff, I concede that it’s not cheap. But then, alcohol isn’t cheap anywhere in Singapore and one can hardly forgive the owners of this historic hotel on very expensive real estate to make the most of what they’ve got.
At S$31 per sling, and beer prices starting at S$22, you probably won’t be staying for too many, but there’ll be somebody else waiting to grab your barstool or chair when you leave.
Of course, you can always stroll through the gardens and peak into the public areas of Raffles for free. But that’s no fun …
P.S. If going by public transport, catch the SMRT to Esplanade station then follow the signs. At the time of writing, the exits have been changed and the signage hasn’t caught up. If you get lost, ask. Everybody in Singapore knows where Raffles is.
*Rudyard Kipling, who visited not long after the hotel opened, was a fan of the menu but not of the accommodation. He wrote: “Raffles Hotel … where the food is as excellent as the rooms are bad. Let the traveller take note: Feed at Raffles and sleep at the Hotel de L’Europe”.
